What is a place of remembrance?

Memory Sites and Cultural Memory

Memory sites, to use the term put forward by Pierre Nora, are not only geographical and real sites in our collective cultural memory. Memory sites (lieaux de mémoire) can also be imaginary sites, persons, biographies, events, legends, myths, literature, works of art, compositions and all other productions of the human spirit that evidently exist in our collective memory.

However when we look at the culture and history of Polish citizens in Germany we see that it is often not clear to provide evidence of any connections with collective memory. For this reason the Porta Polonica documentation centre is offering a dynamic concept with an open and broad understanding of memory sites. Hence the Atlas of Memory Sites will be constantly expanded to include new information, sources and cross references.

In addition the Atlas will provide readers with an opportunity to discuss memory sites which have faded in our collective memory – places, events or cultural and historical features which have been of great importance to Polish citizens in Germany. We should also not forget memory sites which have disappeared from view or have been consciously wiped out in the course of political and historical upheavals. Thus the Atlas of Memory Sites also intends to provide new impulses and contribute towards an active culture of memory.

Furthermore, we intend to enlarge the Atlas with an “Encyclopaedia Polonica”, a dynamic multimedia lexical and of culture and history of Polish citizens in Germany, primarily dedicated to all those themes which cannot yet be said to be collective memory sites and are therefore not mentioned in the Atlas.

In this way the whole of the “Porta Polonica““ Internet portal will successively and simultaneously make up a mosaic and an Archipelago of memory (Michel Foucault) of the culture and history of Poles in Germany.

Jacek Barski and Dietmar Osses

Kościelski, Józef Teodor Stanisław

Józef Teodor Stanisław Kościelski (1845-1911). Polish lord of the manor, writer, dramatist and member of the Prussian House of Lords, 1884-94 member of the Reichstag of the German Empire

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Kościelski,Józef Teodor Stanisław (Joseph Theodor Stanislaus von Kosciol-Koscielski, Joseph von Koscielski), 1881-1911 member of the 1st Chamber of the Prussian Landtag, 1884-94 member of the Reichstag of the German Empire. *9.11.1845 Sluzewo/Służewo manor, in the district of Inowrazlaw/Inowrocław, †22.7.1911 Poznan, lord of the manor, poet, dramatist. Son of Count August Kościelski (1818-1879). After attending the Maria-Magdalena grammar school in Poznan, he passed his A-levels in Braunsberg/Braniewo. Between 1867 and 1870 he studied law and fiscal accounting in Berlin and Heidelberg. During his studies he was the chair of the Towarzystwo Naukowe Akademików Polskich w Berlinie/Scientific Society of Polish Academics in Berlin. In 1871 and 72 he travelled in France, the Middle East and Africa, especially for studies in Egyptology. He was the lord of the manor in Scharley/Szarlej and Karczyn in the district of Inowrazlaw, and lived in Karczyn near Lojewo/Łojewo. In 1881 he married Maria Bloch, the daughter of the Warsaw banker, industrialist and railway pioneer, Jan Gotlib Bloch (Johann von Bloch, 1836-1902). In October 1884, in February 1887, in February 1890 and in June 1893 he was elected as a member of the Polish parliamentary group in the German Reichstag for the constituency of Inowrazlaw-Mogilno/Inowrocław-Mogilno with majorities ranging between 70.37% and 77.55%. He was a member of a huge number of select committees. For a time he was the chair of the Polish parliamentary group, and followed a policy of moderate conciliation with Prussia during the era of the Reich Chancellor, Leo von Caprivi (1890-94). With the backing of a part of the parliamentary group he voted for the Navy budget in 1891, the Army budget in 1893 and in favour of trade agreements between 1891 and 1893. For this he was criticised by the majority of the Polish MPs, and resigned his seat on 9th March 1894. Nonetheless he emphasised his Polish attitudes at the Poland Day in Lemberg in 1894. In 1895 he purchased the estate at Miloslaw/Miłosław and turned his attention to cultural and social activities. In 1899, in Poznan, he set up the Towarzystwo Dziennikarzy i Literatów Polskich/ Society for Polish Press and Literature and was a member of the Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk/Poznan Society of Friends of Sciences. He was on the board of a huge number of trade and industry companies, including being the chair of the board of the engineering company H. Cegielski AG/H. Cegielski-Poznań S.A. in Poznan. picture: pre-1911, Public Domain. Own writings: 1. Poetry: Sonety nadgoplańskie, 1868; Poezje, 1883; Preludia zakopiańskie, 1903; Co mi Tatry dały, 1905. 2. Plays: Władysław Biały, książę gniewkowski, 1874; Arria, 1874; W imię krzyża, 1882; Dwie miłości, 1884; Tragedia jakich wiele, 1908; Poznańczanie we Włoszech, 1873; Prelegent, 1882; Dzienniczek Justysi, 1889.